News | Arts and SciencesApril 10, 2023

2023 Azahares Available Now

Azahares, UAFS’s Spanish-language literary magazine, published its 16th issue in April.

The 60-page journal features the work of UAFS students and alumni, residents of the greater Fort Smith region, and international submitters.

The magazine’s executive editor, Dr. Mary Sobhani, notes that the journal engages students in many ways.

“Working with Azahares gives students this wonderful experience of professionalization, and the fact that this is an outward-looking project means that our students really see the relevance of the work they do,” said Sobhani, department head and associate professor of World Languages.

An azahar is an orange blossom, and azahares are iconic in the Spanish-speaking world, embodying a freshness of spirit and perspective, which the magazine seeks to present.

This year’s issue features the work of more than two dozen writers and artists who offer poetry and prose in Spanish and English, photography, and other visual art. Students working toward a bachelor of science in Graphic Design have designed Azahares as part of their Print & Publication Design class since 2018.

Sobhani said work on the magazine takes a full year. Submissions for the 2024 issue will be accepted through November, and the selections will be finalized in January.

The magazine staff includes four members of the Spanish faculty, the department’s administrative assistant, three student editors, and designers and illustrators. Sobhani said the art students collaborate on design beginning at the start of the spring semester.

Each student presents their design for the cover and inside pages, and the editorial board selects finalists. These students then head up teams, as they might in a professional design studio.

The call for submissions for the 2024 edition notes that written work should be primarily in English or Spanish. English submissions should thematically reflect Latin@ culture, and all artwork and photography must reflect the themes of the Latin@ experience. All submissions come through an online platform, Submittable.

Copies of the magazine are available in the Boreham Library, the Fort Smith main library, and the Dallas Street Branch. The digital edition is available on the UAFS website.

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• World Languages